The business and culture of our digital lives, from the L.A. Times

T-Mobile releases Micro SIM cards for Apple iPhones

T-Mobile USA is targeting iPhone owners with the release of new Micro SIM cards that work with the Apple smartphones.

The T-Mobile Micro SIM cards sell for $9.99 in T-Mobile stores, or can be had for free if purchased online -- either way, a user will need to sign-up for a new two-year data plan with the carrier.

The new SIM cards popped up on T-Mobile's website and were first reported on Appadvice.com.

"Already have a GSM phone or iPhone that you need to activate -- or have an unlocked GSM phone you want to use on the T-Mobile network? Just get a Micro SIM card and choose a plan. Slip the ready-to-use Micro SIM Card into your phone and you're ready to go," T-Mobile said online.

Unlocked iPhones, which are bought directly from Apple, went on sale last month for $649 with 16 gigabytes of memory or $749 with 32 gigabytes.

AT&T, which along with Verizon sells the iPhone 4, is looking for regulatory approval to take over T-Mobile. The iPhone has been a big hit for the nation's two largest cellphone service providers. And so far, it seems T-Mobile has benefited from the unlocked iPhone being on sale in the U.S.

In June, T-Mobile told the website 9to5Mac that it had seen more than 1 million iPhones activated on its network.